• Ferrari

Massa slams new teams' lack of pace

ESPNF1 Staff
March 6, 2010 « Ecclestone expects Chandhok to shine by mid-season | »
Felipe Massa is worried the new teams will impede the front runners © Sutton Images
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Ferrari's Felipe Massa is concerned that slow cars fielded by the new teams could make racing dangerous and believes their presence will not be good for the sport.

Lotus, Virgin and HRT will all join the grid in Bahrain, where they are expected to be up to four or five seconds off the pace of the front runners. In a column on its website last month, Ferrari was openly critical of the new teams' state of preparation and questioned the FIA's selection process. With just one week until the first race, Massa has also voiced his concerns.

"I hope they won't be a danger," he is quoted as saying on Ferrari's website. "There are six or seven teams one second apart [at the front], while those teams are four seconds behind. It's not good for the sport and not good for them; it's like two different series. They'll suffer. And we'll suffer too, when we have them in front of us during qualifying".

He also expects Williams to be challenging alongside the top four teams at the front of the field, after observing everyone's form in pre-season testing.

"We're always watching the others, not just their best time, but also race simulations," he added. "The result is that there are many competitive teams: Red Bull, McLaren, Mercedes, maybe Williams. And we are in there for sure".

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd.
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